Improved machine for making nails for horseshoes



w. wmKERsHAM.

. Horseshoe Nail Machine.

No. 69,7734. V Patented Oct. 8, 1867.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE WlLLIAMnWIOKERSHAll/I, OF BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVED MACHINE FOR MAKING NAILS FOR HORSESHOES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 69,734., dated October8, 1867.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, WILLIAM WICKER- sHAM, of Boston, in the county ofSuffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and usefulImprovement 4on the Horse-Nail Machine; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is afull and exact description thereof, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, and the figures and letters marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in making horse-nails by means oftwo series of rolls, one ofuthese series forming the edges of the nails,and the other series forming the sides of the same; one series being atright angles to the other, and so arranged that when the bar of metal orwire coming from a reel passes between the two first rolls of th'e firstseries, and has part of the work done thereby in the formation of theedges of the nails, it shall next pass between the two iirst rolls ofthe second series, and in like manner have part of the work done in theformation of the sides of the said nails, and thus passing from therolls of one series to those of the other, alternately, each successivepair contributing something to their formation, until the last pair nishthe nails and separate them from each other.

The rst feature of my invention relates to such construction andarrangement of the machine as will allow a wire or bar of metal ofindefinite length (without being previously cut or formed into blanks,so called) to pass continuously through, and, by the operation of themachine while thus passing, be converted into nails `by means of twoseries of rolls-one for the edges and the other for the sides of thenailseach successive pair of rolls having a greater motion than Vthepreceding ones, the increase of motion being suited to the increasedlength of the metal of which each nail is being formed.

lThe second feature of my invention relates to the form and constructionof the rolls, and their relation in the series; and consists in formingspaces or grooves having the same form and depth from one end to theother in cylindrical rolls, the form beingsuch that a bar of metalpassing through between two such rolls as the first pair of a serieswill receive a forml approaching to that of horsef nails, and the secondpair of the series of rolls being of such form that the same met-alpassing between them shall approach still nearer to the form of ahorse-nail, and the whole series working conjointly with a second serieshaving the spaces cut in each pair of rolls, so successively varied inform and width as to completely form the bar or wire into horsenails byits passage through said series.

The third feature of my invention relates to the manner of arranging theworking rolls on their shafts, by, which each part of said roll, whentoo much worn for use, may be shifted from thework and a new partshifted in its place, and thereby each part of the roll successivelyused.

The fourth feature of my invention relates to the method of preventingthe working-rolls from becoming too hot for use while the heated bar ofmetal is running through the machine; and consists in making the shaftson which the working-rolls are placed hollow, and having such a faucetarrangement on one end as will admit a constant stream of water throughsaid shaft while it is turning.

The fth feature of my invention relates to the method of cutting orseparating the nails from each other; and consists in having theprojections on one of the rolls of the last pair longer than they are`on the other roll, by means of which arrangement, while each head isheld firmly between the rolls, the point of next nail adjoined theretowill be separated from said head.

Referring to my drawing, Figure l is a perpendicular section from oneend to the other of my machine, showing a cross-section of theworking-rolls of the first series, or those which form the edges ofthe'nails, and a longitudinal section of one of each pair of the rollsof the second series, or those which form the sides of the nails,together with the shaft and gears which give them motion. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section of one of theV working-rolls, with a faucet at oneend to transmit water through said roll, also showing the arrangement bywhich the rollis shifted on the shaft when one part is worn. Fig. 3shows a side view of the plan for adjusting the workingrolls as to theirdistance from each other. Fig. 4 is a side view of the bar of metal asit is passing through the machine and in its different stages offormation into nails. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section at right angles tothe section shown in Fig. 1, showing a cross-section ofthe working-rollsof' the second series, and a longitudinal section of one of each pair ofthe workingrolls of the first series, together with the shaft and gearsoperating them. Fi 6 'is an end view of the machine, showing thelocation of' the two shafts B and (j, which opcrate the two series ofworkin g-rolls. Fig. 7 is an edge view of a bar of metal as it ispassing through the rolls of' the second series in the machine, showingthe different stages of its formation into nails.

The same letter' will denote the same part in whatever figure it mayoccur.

A is a frame, to which the machinery is attached. B is the shaftcontaining bevel or cone gears c b c, which drive the working-rolls g ht' of the second series through their `gears dej'. (lis the shaftcontaining the cone-gears which drive the working-rolls m n cof thefirst series through their gears rl e f'. These two shafts are connectedtogether by gears l) and E, of equal size. so as to insure uniformity ofmotion in the working-rolls of both series.

I have marked numbers on the drawings of all the gears in my machine,which indicate the number of teeth which each gear contains; also, thegears are shown merely to the pitch line, the teeth not being drawn. Thegears p p p, &c., have tweuty-four teeth each, and conneet the twoworkin g-rolls of each pair together to insure their concurrent working.

F, Fig. 3, is an adjustable box for the bearings of one of each pair ofrolls, a top view of which is shown in Fig. 2. q q are two pins, whichhold the box in its place, and on which it slides. i* o' are screws forthe adjustment of the two rolls of a pair as to the distance betweenthem. s s, Fig. 2, show the workingroll when it is made hollow andplaced on a shaft. t t are two splines in the shaft i, which insure therolls turning with it. a u u, &c., are washers for the double purpose offilling' up the space and for changing to the other end of theworking-roll from time to time, so that when one part of the roll is toomuch worn to do good work said roll can be shifted on the shaft and anew part presented to the work.

At Gis a faucet arrangement, by which a stream of water can be thrownthrough the hollow of the shaft at t' while it is turning. The hollow'in the shaft for a current of water and working-roll, as fitted onto theshaft with the washers u u a, &c., for adjustment, are shown in thedrawings at Fig. 2, and the adjustable box is shown on one of' the rollsin the drawings at Fig. 3.

I have shown all of the working-rolls of the same size, though they maybe of different sizes, if found an advantage, and as the portion ofmetal for each nail increases in length as it is wrought on successivelyby passing between the different pairs of rolls in the machine, I havethe spaces for the forming nail in the successive rolls increased in thesame ratio; and as this cannot be donc while the rolls are ofthe samesize without diminishing the number of these spaces in each successivepair, l do this, and make eight spaces in the first pair, seven in thesecond, six in the third, five in the fourth, fourin the fifth, andthree in the sixth and finishing pair, though I do not confine myself'to these numbers of" spaces, for other numbers, and, indeed, any numberof spaces in the successive rolls which will be suited to thelengthening of the metal as it passes through the machine, will answerthe purpose. These spaces are cutout of the sides of cylindric rolls,having' the same depth and form from one end of the cylinder to theother, and are made of such form and depth and length, measured in thecircumference of the cylinder, as is necessary for each successive pairof rolls to do its share of the work.

I have constructed and arranged the conegears which move theworking-rolls in such manner as to give motion or speed to these rollsin the inverse ratio to the number of spaces in their sides for theformation of the nails. For instance, the rolls o o have eight spacesand the rolls m m have four spaces, and the latter turn twice round tothe forme'rssingle revolution, or, in other words, one space in any ofthe rolls, however long or short, moves past a given point in the sametime.

It will be seen that the projections on the roll g', Fig. 5, are longerthan those of' the roll g of the same pair. rlhese longer projections(but not those on roll g) operate as cutters for cutting the heads fromthe points or separating the nails from each other, the head heilig heldfirmly between the two rolls at the time this separation takes place.

My machine operates as follows: rlhe iron should be rolled into a wireof suitable sizeabout the thickness and width ofl the head of' the nailwhen finished-and then, to secure better uniformity, it should be drawnthrough a wire-plate and wound onto a reel. There are two way sofheating the wire. One is to place the reel containing the wire in anoven suitably constructed, and, when hot, the wire may be drawn from thereel and run through the machine 5 orthereel may be placed behind afurnace in such manner that the wire can pass from the reel through thefurnace to the machine, and in either case it will pass through betweenthe rolls o 0, which partially shapes the edges of the nails, and thenbetween the rolls z' i, partially forming the sides of the same, thenbetween the rolls a a', the rolls It It', m m', and finally between thefinishing-rolls r/ y', which finish their form and separate them fromeach other, as before described, the machine turning in the direction tocarry the iron through, as just indicated.

Nails may be made of the best quality of iron without heating the wire,and in this case it may be found an advantage, after a longerexperience, to have two machines-the first one to do part of the work,and the second machine,

l as it passes through the machine, and so ar ranged that Where therolls are formed as described a Wire of indefinite length, in passingcontinuously through the machine, Will be completely formed into nails,or partially so form ed, ready for another similar machine to finish, asdescribed.

2. The construction of a series of pairs of working-rolls, in horsenailmachines of cylindric form, with grooves or spaces on the outside havingthe same form and depth, extending from one end to the other of therolls, and

suited for the side or edge of the forming nails, and so arranged :inthe series that each succeedingpair shall have wider spaces than thepreceding ones, and suited to the increasing length of the forming nailsas they pass from the first to the last of the series7 substantially asdescribed.

3. The arrangement of the working-roll on the shaft with washers whichare transferable from one end of the roll to the other in such mannerthat all parts of the roll may be successively used, as described.

4. I claim the application to the rolls herein described of a stream ofwater, in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

5. I claim the device herein described for separating the head ofthenail from the point of the succeeding nail, in the manner and forthelpurpose set forth.

WILLIAM WICKERSHAM.

Witnesses:

A. D. PARKER, JOHN J. LOUD.

